Mayawati faces flak for hush-hush statue inaugurations

Lucknow, June 26 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati is facing flak from Congress leader Digvijay Singh and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for unveiling a series of statues, memorials and parks across the state.

He said this while speaking to media persons at New Delhi on Friday.

On Thursday, Mayawati had formally inaugurated over 15 memorials in Lucknow, nine days ahead of schedule.

It is being speculated that a PIL filed by Delhi based lawyer Ravi Kant against such projects prompted the BSP chief to unveil the memorials in a hush so that the Supreme Court does not put the projects on hold.

"Mayawati is constructing huge structures in the same lines as it used to be in Roman Empire and Mughal Empire. An inquiry should be made from which mine the stones for the construction have been procured, who is the owner of the mine or has leased the mine. The public money is being wasted. Yesterday, the inauguration was done in a hurry as on July 3, public interest litigation (PIL) has to come-up for hearing in the Supreme Court. Public won't forgive Mayawati," said Singh.

Meanwhile, Mulayam Singh Yadav, chief of regional Samajwadi Party said that the state government in Uttar Pradesh is scared to face the public as such Mayawati had hurriedly inaugurated the memorial project.

"Such a Chief Minister doesn't have the guts to face the public. She is scared. Her government is in distress. She wants to run the government quietly. We have razed a statue using a bulldozer at Lohia junction. Such acts are bound to happen," said Yadav.

However, Mayawati has refuted allegations that she is misusing public funds to construct memorials, parks and museums dedicated to Dalit leaders. (ANI)

The best way to stop such non-sense(even in future) is to bring a legislation that there should be no statues of living ppl!. If others consider you as good enough to erect your statues after your death, then good for you.

STATUE! Sixty statues of the BSP symbol have been installed at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court issued a show-cause notice to Uttar Pradesh government for using public money for installing statues of Chief Minister Mayawati on Monday.

A vacation bench of the Supreme Court took up a public interest litigation (PIL) filed against Mayawati for allegedly misusing public money for installing statues of prominent Dalit leaders like Dr BR Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram besides party symbols.

The PIL seeks a stay on the inauguration of these statues on July 3.
The petitioner has alleged that the multi-crore projects of installing statues are being carried out as a state policy, which is arbitrary and violates Article 14 of the Constitution.

Sixty statues of the elephant, the party symbol of the BSP, have been installed at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore. The PIL also seeks the removal of Mayawati statues and all party symbols from public places.

“She is spending Rs 1,000 crore on establishing statues of elephants and herself. Can there be something more shameful than this in Indian politics?” he asked.

“Of what use will be the statues in UP. The Rs 1000 crore could have helped wipe out poverty of thousands of people, provide basic amenities and education,” he said, addressing a meeting to thank voters of his constituency Sivaganga on Sunday night.

Pointing out that people all over the country had rejected caste politics, he said this was especially true in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, “where 20 years of caste domination has gone”.

I hope she will never become the PM of this country, she is a shame to the C.M post that she is holding now. What a waste of money, especially when she champions herself to(allegedly) the cause of Dalits who need all kinds of uplifting measures. Its a very shameful day in Indian politics.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has described as shameful Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati spending crores of rupees on installing her own statues.

“She is spending Rs 1000 crore on establishing statues of elephants and herself. Can there be something more shameful than this in Indian politics,” he asked.

“Of what use will be the statues in UP. The Rs 1000 crore could have helped wipe out poverty of thousands of people, provide basic amenities and education,” he said, addressing a meeting to thank voters of his constituency Sivaganga last night.

Pointing out that people all over the country had rejected caste politics, he said this was especially true in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, “where 20 years of caste domination has gone”.

“People like Mulayam Singh Yadav who were practising caste politics were rejected. People there thought beyond caste politics and elected Congress, which is above caste politics and works for the people.”

Voicing concern over role of “casteism” in elections in parts of Sivaganga, he told people to go by government’s achievements, not by considerations like caste.

He said caste based parties had been dealt a ‘death blow´ in Tamil Nadu. “I regret the alliance with caste based PMK earlier, the party faced a rout in the recent elections.”

“If the Congress Government does not achieve anything then you hit it with a Semmatti (hammer) during the poll. You debate on what we have achieved and then vote,” he said.